Blog From Holiday's Past, "Good Friday: Does It Hold Value For All?"

Tomorrow is a holiday, just in case you didn't notice. It is actually a holiday that is a very big deal for a pretty big portion of this continent and beyond. But the question I posed a year ago was, can it be a significant and valuable day for everyone no matter their religion and beliefs? I think I summed up my views on that fairly well a year ago, and I'd say I believe basically the same thing now. So, here is a little flashback to some deep and profound reflections on a rather important day.
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Good Friday: Does It Hold Value For All?

Tomorrow is Good Friday, which happens to be a day that holds a lot of significance and power to a certain portion of the world's population, the Christians. But what if your religion or belief system does not fall under the Christian category? Is it just another day? Well of course, most have the privilege of being able to stay away from work for the entire day, which obviously is great value for many. Any day that I can leave the scanner by itself, is a very great day for me. But if your non Christian, does this day hold any more value than just a simple holiday? For any person who does not consider themselves a follower of Christ, would this just be a simple holiday that holds no other significance other than a reprieve from work like some other holidays (Labour Day and Civic Day, I am looking at you).

I did a little reflection upon this holiday, which is a day that holds so much significance for a specific religious group. I started realizing that the power of this day can be shared by people who do not consider themselves to be Christians. Yes, the main point of the day is to honour and reflect upon Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross in order for the entire world to be freed from sin. And yes, someone who isn't a Christian would not be able to share the same thankfulness and blessings as a Christian would. But I do think they can still appreciate the deeper message and do some of their own reflection.

If you cut out the religious subtext, the overall meaning is one of sacrifice. It is about a man (deity) who put the well being of others before himself, and made the ultimate selfless act of giving his life for a greater good. I know, that is a notion that almost anyone can appreciate and be moved by.

For a non Christian, this can be a day that they reflect upon those who made crucial sacrifices in order to help others. It can be honouring people who they personally know, such as showing respect for a single mother who puts her heart and soul into her children's well being. This is also a day that one can reflect upon other great men and women who who put their own lives on the line in order to push a noble cause they believed in. It can be a time to appreciate amazing people like Gandhi or Martin Luther King who put a great cause way above their own well being, and who ultimately sacrificed their own lives because they refused to back away from what they believed in.

It can also be a time of self reflection. How can we bring out greatness and hope for others? What do we need to sacrifice in order to help and love others? It can be a time to realize that there are things that are more important than ourselves. It is a time to think and brainstorm how those important issues can be addressed. I am sure there are many problems or dilemmas in your very own area. They may be personal and relate to your own family or friends. Or it may be bigger issues that involve your community. The big question is, what will you sacrifice or do to make sure a good cause is fulfilled?

I ask this question without knowing an answer myself. I do look to the past and see the ultimate love shown by men like Jesus and Gandhi and Martin Luther King. I hope, one day that I can show just a small fraction of the love, courage and strength they demonstrated. So, on this Good Friday, I will use this day to reflect upon sacrifice and love. Most importantly, I will think of what I can do to demonstrate that type of love myself.